What are some communication skills that every employee should learn?

Give Full Attention: Focus entirely on the speaker. Avoid distractions, put away electronic devices, and make eye contact to signal that you are fully engaged. Ask Clarifying Questions: If something is unclear, ask open-ended questions to seek clarification. Avoid leading questions that might impose your perspective on the speaker. Provide Feedback: Respond Appropriately: Respond in a way that shows you've heard and understood the message. This might involve offering encouragement, validation, or further exploration of the topic.

I teach people to probe more by adopting easy phrases like, "Tell me more about that" or "Continue with your train of thought" so you can understand the why of what someone is saying and extract more meaning behind their initial thoughts.

Listening is often overlooked but is a crucial part of communication. It frequently happens that a person does not listen when the other person is speaking but instead thinks about what they will say next. Mistake! We must listen if we want to be effective in communication. It's also important to understand the other side, so it's beneficial to ask additional questions or briefly summarize what was said, for example, "If I understand you correctly, you meant x, y, and z," thus allowing for further clarification.

Clear writing is a reflection of clear thinking. Often, taking the time to write a process in detail will show you what's missing.

Writing clearly can be the biggest challenge at many organizations when much of the information is technical or difficult to understand. Yet it's crucial for a variety of audiences to be able to understand your message in the simplest terms possible. As communicators, our superpower needs to be breaking down messages into transparent, easy to understand language. That usually involves asking lots of clarifying questions to subject matter experts to ensure your simplification is accurate. It also may involve pushing back and taking some calculated risks to ensure you can "translate" a complex theme into everyday language.

Avoid common pitfalls like redundancy, run-on sentences, and excessive adjectives. These can all be distractions from the message you're trying to communicate. A thorough review process will help you find clarity in your message.

Don't rush, and reference previous remarks that others have made to make them feel included. Use their name when you can. Also, don't feel you have to explain everything about a situation. Sometimes you can simply summarize and offer to provide your details and reasons if people want to know more.

While very often associated with large corporations, the skill of giving and receiving feedback is equally crucial in SMEs for fostering growth. It means being able to express to someone what is working well and what can be improved in a polite and constructive manner, while also being solution-oriented (you cannot only criticize without thinking about a solution to the issue). On the other hand, receiving feedback entails being open to listening, self-reflection, or (when job is well done) accepting compliments. Ultimately, it is about obtaining a genuine evaluation of one's work, a capacity that is sometimes lost with the end of the studies.

When collaborating, I've found sincere curiosity to be such a powerful tool. People who are passionate about their work want to talk about it! So ask plenty of questions and give them the opportunity to share their expertise. And don't be afraid to share your own expertise. If you're proposing a certain approach, help your colleagues/stakeholders understand why you believe it's the best path forward.

Especially in remote work, two essential communication skills—responding to messages and following up/following through—can make or break collaborative efforts or team productivity. Ignoring messages or emails isn’t just unprofessional; it disrupts workflows, delays projects, and signals a lack of consideration for others’ time. Even a simple acknowledgment like, “Got it, I’ll respond by noon,” shows respect and keeps tasks on track. Following up and following through are equally vital. Remote work often means juggling priorities, but proactively checking in or fulfilling commitments demonstrates accountability and builds trust. These small actions ensure smoother collaboration and help teams meet their goals efficiently.

I keep this quote near: "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Whether you're communicating face to face or via email, remember to be clear; be concise; be courteous. Clear: Anticipate questions someone may have and answer those as best as possible; provide necessary context and goals. And if you receive or hear something that is vague, ask questions. Concise: No rambling; provide action steps Courteous: Be friendly and honest.

Escucha activa para mejorar la receptividad y no poner un techo al apredizaje es la base de toda carrera profesional en alza. Por otro lado, para potenciar las habilidades comunicativas es menester entender que, ante todo, siempre hay una audiencia receptora de nuestro mensaje a quien debemos honrar con una buena redacción y excelente ortografía, para los casos escritos, y fuertes habilidades de oratoria para hace de un pitch un momento ameno, en vez de aburrir con discursos monocordes y sin una estructura atractiva que mantenga el interés activo.

Aprimorar as suas habilidades em comunica??o n?o-violenta. Ela melhora o ambiente corporativo ao promover empatia, clareza e resolu??o de conflitos. Ao focar em sentimentos e necessidades geramos mais coopera??o, evitando julgamentos e tens?es desnecessárias.